THE LIFE OF THE LEADER OF NIRVANA IN AN INTIMIST DOCUMENTARY

GENRE: documentary

DURATION: 135 minutes

RELEASE: April 28th and 29th, 2015

SCORE: 4/5

Kurt Cobain is a character who for sure doesn’t need introduction: front man of Nirvana, one of the most important exponents of grunge and underground, he is one of those musicians who cannot be forgotten and keep catching the attention of new generations. With this documentary, for the first time Cobain family has approved and has taken part to the project: the daughter of Cobain and Courtney Love, Francis Bean, is in fact one of the executive producers of Cobain: Montage of Heck, and the director Brett Morgen had the chance to reach limitlessly into his immense personal and family archive. From videos to audio records and pictures, from diary pages to notes and drawings, everything of the life of the tormented singer has taken part to this exclusive project, enriched with specially designed animations.

The story begins with his birth, told through the images of his childhood and the words by his mother, his father and his sister, and it ends with his death, when he was just 27.

Going through his many troubles and fears, the few loves, Nirvana and that family he wanted so badly, everything is shown on the big screen in a clear and linear way, with a “lysergic” style which let us step a little into his shoes.

His personality is alive on the screen: the hyperactivity as a child; his parents’ divorce, that threw him into a dangerous spiral between inadequacy to life and the fear of not being loved; the rejection of society; the anger in his songs; the drug addiction and that love as sick as him, but needful, represented by Courtney Love. Herself witness of their life together in the film, she has had no access to the documentary production phases, because of her personal involvement.

Aside from being a complete event, since it will be projected only on April 28th and 29th, this work is even an opportunity to listen to an unpublished recording of Beatles’ And I love her cover, found in his archive. For Nirvana lovers, and everyone else, it is the occasion to get to know him better, look into his eyes and feel him by your side for a couple of hours.